Sunday, March 31, 2013

Young Interpreters: Conclusion

This post is a continuation of the several
immediately preceding ones about schoolchildren interpreters.

What do the YI pupils think themselves about what they’re doing? Here
are a few opinions from the William Howard school in Cumbria, in the north west
of England (12 languages spoken).

“When you start school in a new country and
you can't speak the language you can feel frightened and confused. By
completing the course we will be able to make other students feel more
welcome and help them to build friendship circles.”

“I get a great sense of achievement when I
see the students I have supported do well in their lessons.”

“We have helped to form relationships
between the school, parents and EAL students, it helps them to feel more
accepted.”

On this page of
the EMTAS website there’s a video of an interview with a professional
interpreter as an encouragement to pupils to consider interpreting as a career.
I asked Astrid about this, and she replied as follows.

“The point
you are making about considering a career in interpreting is a very interesting
one. Through meeting Young Interpreters and/or training pupils myself, I have
seen how some children don't realise just how exceptionally talented they are.
For some, interpreting for family or others is just part of their normal
routine and involving these young people in the scheme is key in helping them
realise their talent. I particularly remember a Year 11 student coming to
see me at the end of her training to thank me for opening her eyes to this
career. I'll never forget this.”

Do you know a school that could benefit from a Young Interpreter
scheme? If so, get in touch with Astrid Gouwy at Astrid.Gouwy@hants.gov.uk.

About Me

Degrees in Arabic and Middle East History. Certified translator and certified conference interpreter. 30 years of teaching translating and interpreting in Canada, Spain and elsewhere, and of research. Now retired in Spain. For more, see 'natural translation hypothesis' in Wikipedia.